(05-14-2017 01:28 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(05-14-2017 12:36 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(05-14-2017 08:49 AM)TerryD Wrote:  

(05-14-2017 08:28 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  The most likely scenario for Notre Dame joining the ACC in football, IMO:
1. The Irish go many years without a playoff berth, while the ACC champ keeps making it
2. The ACC beats the Irish on a regular basis, making it look less like a step down
3. NBC signs up a conference like the AAC for football, making ND less important
4. ACC media rights continue to increase in value.

All of these are plausible, and together put ND in a "why not join" situation. The ACC will not attempt to "force" ND to join for football, however.

JMO

If all of these dire predictions and the suggested decline/collapse of ND football occur, you guys are stuck with a depleted, declined, lessened ND.

Because that contract about ND joining the ACC in football works both ways. ND has to join the ACC and (the 30 year lawyer in me says) that contract says the ACC has to accept ND football, no matter what lousy shape it is in.

It is a bilateral contract. That is first year law school contracts. Do you think ND signed an agreement that only obligates them, but not the ACC, to do something, a one way deal?

Why would the ACC want to root for that outcome? Does it want another BC or Wake?

ACC guys should root for the status quo instead. ND won't join unless it has a gun to its head and has no other choice. If it joins, that means the football program has pretty much collapsed.

Terry, I disagree. All four scenarios that HokieMark mentioned could take place without ND football being ruined or collapsing:

1) ND could realistically go another 5 years without making the playoffs. That plus the first 3 years that ND has already missed the playoffs make 8 years which, in cfb terms, equals many years. Meanwhile, Clemson, FSU are recruiting at a level that could realistically keep both of them taking turns in getting to the playoffs the next 5 years. Thats not even considering what the new coaches at Miami and VT are doing.

2)The ACC has upgraded its coaching ranks big time, and I can see a scenario where ND goes .500 or below, against the ACC the next 5 years. That doesnt however mean that ND's fb has collapsed.

3)With only ND football to broadcast fulltime, if NBC wanted to bring in a conference like the aac to compliment its ND package, thats not a knock on ND. NBC could use ND football to prop up ratings for a league like the AAC.

4) This is the most likely scenario. The ACC will likely see a large increase in its TV deal once the network gets going full time. Again, that has nothing to do with ND's football being ruined or collapsing.

ND is already contractually obligated to play 5 ACC teams per season. If you think thats football independence then I totally disagree. But I can say this, if ND didnt need to be contractually obligated to play 5 ACC teams a year, they wouldnt do it. But they do do it. And their football is not ruined or collapsing. Like someone else says, its not a far cry for ND to play an additional 3 games per season.

I think that you miss my point. There was talk in this thread about how lousy ND's program is and will be as an independent.

ND is not (absent P4 champs only playoff legislation) going to join a football conference unless and until its program is so damaged it has no other choice.

Do you want such a program then? Why?

I dont believe that ND will be a lousy program over a prolonged period of time. But they could go thru a stretch similar to the Willingham/Davey period that would get them to more seriously consider a conference, similar to when Kevin White was leading the program.